A leader, a goalscorer and a fan favourite – players like Troy Deeney do not come along too often, at least at Watford! The now-retired striker made a huge mark during his 11 years at Vicarage Road and here is a summary of his time at the club he grew to love so deeply.
Watford Adventure Begins
Following a strong season for League One side Walsall in 2009/10, Deeney caught the eye of several Championship clubs. Walsall told Deeney they would let him go early in the summer but played hardball with interested clubs. In response, Deeney began slacking off as a form of protest. Not wanting to keep an unhappy player, Walsall finally decided to accept Watford’s latest bid.
The two clubs agreed a base fee of £250,000, potentially rising to £500,000 with add-ons. Not wanting too much of a commitment on a player with just two decent years at League One, the Hornets offered a two-year contract (with an extension of a third). Not that Deeney minded this, as the move saw his weekly pay go up from £1,200 per week to £6,000.
The deal was wrapped up on the opening day of the 2010/11 Championship season and Deeney had no wait for his debut. The 22-year-old came on as a substitute in the 58th minute of the league’s inaugural fixture, Watford’s 3-2 win over Norwich.
A Tough Beginning
As it took Watford so long to agree terms with Walsall, the club’s new striker joined Vicarage Road late, missing all of their pre-season training. Deeney had been participating in Walsall’s pre-season work but very half-heartedly as he looked to force a move away from the club. While this may have helped secure Deeney a move, it meant he arrived at Vicarage Road low on fitness as a step behind his teammates.
This did not stop him from opening his Watford account early on as he scored in the 2-1 League Cup defeat to Notts County but there were few other goals to come. By the end of the 2010/11 season, life in the Championship had proved tough for Troy. He scored just two league goals; although in his partial defence, he had been largely deployed as a winger.
The following season he struggled to cement himself as a regular in the starting 11 initially but this eventually changed and he became a default centre-forward pick for boss Sean Dyche. Despite this, he was only able to return a slightly underwhelming 11 league goals in over 2,700 minutes of action.
Deeney Shows His Talent
Troy Deeney scored his first ever @premierleague goal during a 2-0 win away at Stoke on this day in 2015! ⏪#WatfordFC | @T_Deeney pic.twitter.com/ODBxYaPtfo
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) October 24, 2023
It’s fair to say that Deeney’s first two seasons at Watford were not his best but he showed promise – and he started to fulfil that promise starting in the 2012/13 season. This was something of a breakthrough year for the powerful striker who recorded 19 Championship goals and nine assists. In March of this season, the club rewarded him with a new contract, extending his stay until 2016. Two months later, he netted one of the most memorable goals in Watford history, the last-gasp play-off semi-final winner against Leicester.
Even though they failed to secure promotion that season, the live match commentary will long live in the memory of Watford fans:
Knockaert takes, Almunia saves… Knockaert follows in, Almunia saves again. Absolutely astonishing. Now here come Watford. Forestieri. Here’s Hogg… Deeney! Do not scratch your eyes, you are really seeing the most extraordinary finish here!
By this point, Deeney had firmly found his stride and he was proving too hot to handle for Championship defences. The goals kept flying in with the Englishman grabbing 24 in the 2013/14 Championship season, followed by 21 more the next year as the Hornets grabbed promotion to the Premier League. It was a particularly proud moment for Deeney as he had spent the year as the club captain following the departure of Manuel Almunia.
Deeney in the Premier League
Watford spent eight years away from the top flight before securing their Premier League return in 2015. To survive, they needed goals and Deeney was more than happy to supply them. Despite never playing in England’s top division before, Deeney enjoyed an excellent debut season, registering 13 goals and eight assists. With his significant contributions, the Hornets managed to secure 13th place, a long way clear of danger.
At the end of the campaign, having proved himself capable at this higher level, the Birmingham-born forward was handed a five-year contract. The next season (2016/17) was more of a slog for Watford, who could only muster a 17th-place finish but Deeney still managed to contribute 10 goals and four assists for the struggling side.
Plenty more was expected from Troy following two strong years in the Premier League but 2017/18 proved to be unexpectedly disappointing for the Watford skipper. He recorded just five goals across 29 league appearances. Part of the issue was that he suffered a serious groin injury over the summer, which required surgery. This saw him miss pre-season and he looked a little off the pace because of it.
He bounced back the following two seasons though, registering nine goals and five assists in 2018/19, and 10 goals and two assists in 2019/20 (league only). The second-season return was particularly impressive given that Deeney spent nearly two months sidelined by knee surgery early on in the campaign.
The End
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In an emotional and heartfelt message, Troy Deeney addresses supporters as his 11-year spell at Vicarage Road comes to an end… pic.twitter.com/SQKZSikJGx
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) August 30, 2021
By the time of the 2020/21 season, Deeney was 32 and Watford were back in the Championship. Normally. he would have had plenty to offer still at this level but injuries began to take their toll. Troy faced three substantial spells on the sidelines and only managed to make 14 league starts because of it. He recovered from the final setback to take part in the final game of the season, with promotion already secured.
Deeney began the 2021/22 season at Watford but it was clear he was not going to get regular minutes with the Hornets back in the Premier League. Still hungry to play, the Hornets thanked him for 11 years of service and let him leave on a free transfer to his boyhood club, Birmingham City, despite having a year left on his contract.
Naturally, Deeney had much to say about Watford following the emotional farewell, but here is one of the more touching comments:
Watford is a small part of planet Earth but for some of the most turbulent years of my life it was the centre of my universe and I couldn’t have wished for better supporters holding me up and I have been truly honoured to be the captain of that club and the fans’ representative on the pitch.
It was the right time for Deeney to go but this did not soften the blow of losing such a loved player. Gone but never forgotten, Watford’s former captain left the club having made 419 appearances and having scored 140 goals, making him the club’s fourth-highest all-time scorer. He is undoubtedly a legend of the club and the only one in recent times.
